Halfords beats analyst forecasts

LONDON (Reuters) - Car parts and bike retailer Halfords Group (HFD.L) reported an 8 percent rise in full-year profit on Thursday, beating analyst forecasts, and said it was confident about its prospects for the new year.

Halfords, which runs around 450 stores selling spark plugs, car radios and bicycles, reported profit before tax and exceptional items of 90.2 million pounds ($176.3 million) in the year to March 28, up from 83.5 million the year before.

Analysts had expected profit of between 83.5 million pounds and 90.0 million according to 15 estimates provided to Reuters Estimates, with the average at around 87.6 million.

The retailer said that it had seen strong growth in all its businesses -- car maintenance, car enhancement and leisure -- during the year.

"Automotive sales since the year-end have been in line with expectation," Nick Wharton and Paul McClenaghan, acting joint managing directors, said in the results statement.

"Sales of leisure products having gained momentum following the slow start to the season that was impacted by a cold and wet April," they added.

Halfords, which floated in 2004 and employs 10,500 staff, has outperformed the general retailers' index .FTASX5370 by almost 20 percent for the past 12 months.

The stock closed at 266.50 pence on Wednesday, valuing the company at around 568.7 million pounds.

(Reporting by Mike Elliott; Editing by Erica Billingham)